Martina Fürrutter
Current roles
At a glance
Martina Fürrutter is the CEO of The Innovation in Politics Institute. Based in Vienna, she works with public institutions across Europe to strengthen governance, organisational development, and participation where complex challenges require collaboration beyond traditional decision-making boundaries.
Her work focuses on helping institutions listen better, connect existing knowledge, and translate democratic innovation into durable practice.
“I believe democracy grows stronger whenever institutions accept they cannot solve complex challenges alone. When participation is built into governance from the beginning, decision-making processes connect political leadership with administrations, research, business, and society – resulting in stronger, future-ready policies.”
Why she works on democratic innovation
Martina’s work starts with a simple conviction: Democracies work best when institutions learn to listen seriously and systematically. Political decisions are stronger when they draw on the knowledge, experience, and needs of administrations, research, business, and society alike.
A political consultant at heart, she is deeply interested in how people with different perspectives come together: experts and practitioners, decision-makers and those affected by decisions. Her focus is on creating spaces for exchange on an equal footing, where listening is not merely symbolic but truly shapes outcomes.
Martina works on democratic innovation because complex challenges cannot be solved in isolation. Better decision-making requires joint responsibility and shared learning, as well as the smart use of existing knowledge, tools, and proven practices, so that institutions don’t have to start from scratch every time.
Career history
Before joining the Innovation in Politics Institute, Martina Fürrutter spent several years as an academic and political scientist, focusing on democratic processes, institutional decision-making, and governance in Europe. She studied in Innsbruck and Zaragoza before completing a PhD at the University of St. Gallen on the role of media and public awareness in EU sanctioning following human rights violations.
At the Innovation in Politics Institute, she helped establish and led the European Capital of Democracy City Network, before heading the Institute’s advisory work. In this role, she worked closely with public institutions on governance practices, organisational development, cross-sector collaboration, and the effective use of participation in policy-making.
Focus areas & expertise
Democratic innovation & institutional governance (embedding participation into decision-making structures)
Advisory work with public institutions (governance practice, organisational development, change processes)
Intersectoral collaboration (connecting administration, politics, research, business, and society)
Participation design & facilitation (workshop design, moderation, structured dialogue formats)
Knowledge integration & learning systems (using research, best practices, and existing tools effectively)
Selected publications & media
Solving Problems No One Can Solve Alone
On why complex challenges require institutions to open decision-making and integrate participation across sectors.
On democracy, peace, and public perceptions
Analysis of survey results on how citizens across Europe perceive the relationship between democracy and peace.
On complex decision-making in transnational governance
Academic research arguing for a multi-dimensional view of EU sanctioning, highlighting how transnational cooperation and sectoral norms reshape the environment in which institutional decisions are made.
FAQs about Martina Fürrutter
What motivates Martina?
Martina is motivated by the question of how democracies can make better decisions under complex conditions. She believes trust grows when institutions listen seriously, draw on existing knowledge, and take responsibility for opening decision-making where challenges cannot be solved alone.
What is Martina’s core expertise?
Designing and facilitating participation that connects administrations, politics, research, business, and society. Her expertise lies in intersectoral collaboration, structured dialogue formats, and the integration of existing knowledge, research, and proven best practices.
What is her role at The Innovation in Politics Institute?
As CEO, Martina is responsible for the Institute’s organisational development. She works on strengthening structures, processes, and partnerships, ensuring that the Institute’s advisory work and democratic innovation efforts are effective, coherent, and sustainable.
What are her views on digital participation?
Digital participation requires responsibility, not shortcuts. Clear purposes, safeguards, and institutional accountability – combined with cross-sector exchange – ensure that digital tools strengthen inclusion and trust rather than weakening democratic processes.
What kind of topics does Martina speak and write about?
Institutional governance, democratic innovation, participation design, and organisational development – often focusing on how public institutions organise collaboration and decision-making under complex conditions.